Current Fellows

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Swiger Fellowship

Leigh Alison Bryant

Leigh Alison Bryant, a first year student in the Sport and Exercise Psychology doctoral program, is thrilled to be joining the Mountaineer family and looks forward to taking classes, conducting research, and doing applied work with WVU professors and colleagues over the next several years. As a Swiger Fellowship recipient, Leigh will apply her communication and interpersonal skills in the classroom by teaching a section of SEP 271 through the College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences. This opportunity closely matches her ultimate professional goal: teaching in a university setting. Leigh also hopes to provide effective sport psychology and counseling services to athletes and other active clients as her career unfolds.

Leigh graduated from Bucknell University with honors in psychology, and completed minors in philosophy and dance. She has served as a summer intern with Devereux Cares in Downingtown, PA (a day school for verbal and non-verbal children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders) and an extern with Geisinger Medical Center’s Child Life Services program. Most recently, she served as a volunteer student-editor for a young athlete’s handbook that was a collaboration between a sports nutritionist affiliated with the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and an Olympian-turned-sport psychologist.

Due to her years of experience as a gymnast, soccer player, and dancer/choreographer, Leigh is interested in exploring a wide range of topics in the domains of sport and performance psychology. She does, however, have a special interest in women’s team sports (e.g., leadership and coping). When not sitting in a classroom or serving as a regional representative for the Association of Applied Sport Psychology, Leigh enjoys writing, dancing, watching movies, working out at the gym, and spending time with friends and family.

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Rose Strickland-Constable

Originally from the United Kingdom, Rose received a BSc in Biology from Imperial College, London, followed by a MSc in Taxonomy and Biodiversity from the Natural History Museum, London. Transplanted to West Virginia, she is pursuing a PhD in the Department of Biology under the mentorship of Dr. Stephen DiFazio.

Her research focuses on genetics and genomics in the forest trees known as poplars, aspens and cottonwoods (the genus Populus). These trees are model species – they are studied not only for their own sake, but also in order to answer wider questions about plant biology. Rose is interested in the evolution of species differences at the genomic level, and the effects of hybridisation. In addition, she is researching the population genetics of aspen seedlings in Yellowstone National Park following the 1988 fires.

Her previous experience in the herbarium at the Natural History Museum, London, is put to good use in the West Virginia University Herbarium. This is the largest herbarium in West Virginia, with over 200,000 preserved plant specimens documenting the state’s flora over more than a century. Rose assists curator Dr. Donna Ford-Werntz in identifying taxonomically difficult specimens, and in public outreach.

When not in the lab or at her computer, she can often be found enjoying West Virginia’s natural beauty on foot or mountain bike, with her husband, Travis Bellotte, and her camera.

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Pete Kadushin

Peter Kadushin is a third year doctoral student in Sport and Exercise Psychology at the West Virginia University College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences. Peter is also pursuing a masters degree in Counseling. He received his BS in psychology as well as a minor in movement science from Penn State.

His research interests include the interaction between athletes, coaches, and parents in youth sports, and using mindfulness interventions in overweight and inactive populations. Through the Swiger Fellowship, he has had the opportunity to teach a number of courses, including Sport in American Society and Psychological Perspectives of Sport.

In his free time, Pete enjoys playing guitar, playing golf, and spending time with friends and family.

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Phillip Lemaster

Philip is a second year doctoral student in Lifespan Developmental Psychology. Previously he received his B.A. and M.A. in psychology from Marietta College while also focusing on gender studies. These interests fused, leading him to join Dr. JoNell Strough’s lab at WVU. His research interests include sex similarities and differences and gender development in late life. Philip has most recently presented research on the relation between sex-segregated peer relationships and attitudes about gender at the 2011 Association for Psychological Science conference.

When not in academic mode, Philip is probably making someone laugh, enjoying a leisure read, or catering to his cat’s every need.





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Lizzy Price

Elizabeth (Lizzy) Price is a first year doctoral student in the Psychology Department of the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, West Virginia University. She is studying clinical psychology with a focus on older adults in the lab of recently tenured professor Dr. Amy Fiske. Lizzy received a Bachelor of Arts from Dickinson College in Carlisle PA, graduating with honors in psychology and a double major in sociology. She completed the Clinical Psychology Professional Masters (PMA) program at WVU and received a Master of Arts in August 2011. As part of this program, she provided supervised psychotherapy at the WVU Family Medicine Clinic, Sundale Rebilitation and Long-term Care, and interned full-time at William R. Sharpe Jr. Hospital, one of two state psychiatric hospitals in West Virginia.

Lizzy’s research interests have always been focused on gender issues. Undergraduate projects included original work on the topics of female genital mutilation and gender differences in academic attitudes and study behavior. In the last two years she has developed an interest in gender differences in the expression of depression symptoms in older adults, specifically related to suicide in older men. She will be presenting preliminary results of this research at the Gerontological Society of American Conference in Boston, MA in November 2011. The Swiger Fellowship will support this and other research related to West Virginia older adults’ mental health.

Outside of psychology, Lizzy was heavily involved with modern and post-modern dance while in college. She also worked as a Career Coach at Dickinson’s Career Center for two years and is looking forward to reviewing more CV’s and personal statements when she teaches “Applying to Graduate School” this fall. Now she practices yoga and one of her favorite things to teach clients is relaxation techniques!

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Meagan Ramsey

Meagan Ramsey is a first year doctoral student in Life-Span Developmental Psychology at the West Virginia University Eberly College of Arts and Sciences and a Research Assistant with Dr. Amy Gentzler. She received her BS in psychology from Northern Kentucky University where she conducted psychopharmacology research concerning the effects of alcohol mixed with energy drinks on behavioral control, and additional research on the relationship between parent involvement at home and child outcomes. She also recently served as an intern at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital in the Center for the Promotion of Treatment Adherence and Self-Management, where she studied interventions facilitating adherence in Crones and Colitis treatment. Her current research interests focus on emotion regulation and coping strategies. Specifically she is interested in how people cope with positive events and emotions, and quality of relationships in adolescence and adjustment. In her free time she loves scrapbooking and other creative endeavors, as well as volleyball, reading, and relaxing with her husband.

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Brandon Rumberg

Brandon Rumberg is a third year doctoral student in Electrical Engineering at the West Virginia University College of Engineering and Mineral Resources. He received the B.S. degrees in Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering and the M.S. degree in Electrical Engineering, all from West Virginia University. He previously served as an intern at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, where he worked on reconfigurable data acquisition instruments for astronomy signal processing. He is currently a Research Assistant with Dr. David Graham and a recipient of the Arlen G. and Louise Stone Swiger Fellowship.

His research interests include low-power sensing systems for extracting perceptual information about a scene. To this end, he is interested in mixed-signal integrated circuits and efficient computational paradigms. His fellowship has provided the academic freedom to craft a research portfolio that will serve as a springboard to future accomplishments. His recent work can be found in the Proceedings of the ACM/IEEE International Conference on Information Processing in Sensor Networks (2010) and the IEEE Journal on Emerging Topics in Circuits and Systems (2011).

He enjoys music, snow, books, and coffee.

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Matthew Thompson

Matthew Thompson is a first-year doctoral student in the Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering and Mineral Resources, at West Virginia University (WVU). He received his Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering in May 2011 from WVU, and a week after which, he was married in his home county, Pendleton County, WV. His undergraduate research experience includes a summer internship in the Polymer Physics Group at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, DC, in 2008, and extensive undergraduate research in the polymers and nanocomposites laboratory under Dr. Rakesh Gupta, chair of the Department of Chemical Engineering. For three years, Matthew investigated mixing properties and conditions of graphene into various polymers and measured mass-transfer barrier properties of graphene for water diffusing into and through composite samples. During summer 2011, Matthew also interned for Bayer MaterialScience at the South Charleston Technical Center, South Charleston, WV.

Matthew is an Arlen G. & Louise Stone Swiger Fellow and Bayer Fellow. His research interests include mixing properties of polymer nanocomposites, in particular utilizing graphene, the two-dimensional, one-atom-thick fundamental form of carbon isotopes. His doctorate project investigates the extensional flow mixing of styrene acrylonitrile (SAN) and polycarbonate (PC) as well as the effects of nanoparticles on this mixing. Matthew’s undergraduate research was summarized in the summer 2011 edition of the Mountaineer Undergraduate Research Review (MURR).

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W.E.B. Du Bois Fellowship

Rueben Brock

Rueben Brock is a 2006 graduate of the University of Pittsburgh where he received a BA in Interdisciplinary Studies with concentrations in Psychology, Sociology, and Creative Arts. Brock went on to complete a Masters degree in Community Counseling at California University of PA in 2008. A nationally certified counselor, Brock has been working in the social services since 1998 and his work has ranged from residential treatment of mentally ill adolescents to family therapy and drug & alcohol treatment. Brock is currently a third year doctoral student in Counseling Psychology at West Virginia University on a W.E.B Dubois Fellowship. In Addition to being a Dubois Fellow, Brock is also currently on a SAMHSA Minority Fellowship through the American Psychological Association. This highly selective honor is awarded to promising doctoral students dedicated to substance abuse and mental health treatment among underserved and minority populations. Brock’s research interest is in career and academic self-efficacy among Black students. He also recently published a self-help book for young men entitled “A Young Man’s Wisdom” which is available on amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.

Brock is a father of two and currently lives in Washington, Pa. He spends his free time pursuing a number of artistic endeavors including music and photography. He is a trained jazz musician and released a critically acclaimed solo album long before entering the field of psychology. He also had the privilege of performing for the troops on the Naval Base in Guantanamo Bay Cuba on three different occasions. Although no longer a performer, Brock continues to write and produce music when time allows. He is currently working on a book of artistic nude photography and works as a freelance photographer in the Pittsburgh area.

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Jeremy Gunn

Jeremy Gunn is a first year student at the West Virginia University College of Law. He received his Bachelor of Arts in political science from Vanderbilt University. A former New York City Urban Fellow, he worked as a restructuring project manager at NYC Health and Hospitals Corporation.












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Tai Shadrick

Tai Shadrick is a second year law student at the West Virginia University College of Law, where she is an associate editor of the West Virginia Law Review and a member of the Women‚√É??√É?√É√É?√Ǭ¥s Law Caucus and Black Law Student Association. She is a recipient of WVU‚√É??√É?√É√É?√Ǭ¥s W.E.B. Du Bois Fellowship, an award that has allowed her to focus on the rigors of law school without the additional hassle of loans and part-time employment. She is currently ranked among the top 20 students in her class.

A native of Cumberland, MD, Tai is the oldest of seven brothers. She earned a bachelor’s degree in mass communications from Towson University in 2003. At Towson, she interned at Baltimore Magazine, served as the arts editor of the student newspaper, and received a national award for best op-ed. She later worked as a newspaper reporter before serving as an admissions counselor at Frostburg State University, where she received the CollegeBound Foundation College Admissions Counselor of the Year Award. While working at Frostburg, Tai also received a Master of Education with a focus on higher education administration.

Tai recently completed a summer clerkship at Spilman Thomas & Battle in Charleston, WV, where she wrote research memos and deposition outlines, drafted discovery, and attended court proceedings. In her free time, Tai enjoys reading and spending time with her family, including her niece and nephew.

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Provost Fellowship

Gillian Beach

Gillian Beach is a first year doctoral student in Political Science at the West Virginia University Eberly College of Arts and Sciences. She received her BA in Spanish and Political Science from Gettysburg College. After graduation, she worked for two years as a Research Assistant for an environmental-grantmaking foundation in New York City. Her efforts there supported conservation projects and environmental awareness campaigns in North America, South America, and Asia. More recently, she spent two semesters as an English Teacher at Henan Teacher’s College in Zhengzhou, China.

Her research interests include democratization and grassroots political movements, especially within Asia.






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Michael Berrebi

Mike is a first year doctoral student in the WVU Sport & Exercise Psychology (SEP) program. He is from Morgantown, WV and received a B.S. in Biology from Penn State University. During college Mike conducted neuroscience research for two summers as an undergraduate research intern at WVU. While initially thinking about medical school, towards the end of his collegiate career he discovered Sport Psychology. He was ecstatic to discover a young and exciting field that combined his interests of science and athletics and also enabled him to utilize his people skills.

Mike is currently a Provost fellow in the WVU SEP program and is enjoying taking counseling, sport psychology, and research courses. His research interests include issues in youth sport and the relationship between leadership style and perceived cohesion in athletes. He is looking forward to starting applied work soon and teaching within the next year. Mike plans to one day teach sport sciences at the university level while concurrently consulting with teams and individual athletes. He also looks to stay involved and make a positive impact on youth sport.

When he isn’t taking care of graduate responsibilities, Mike enjoys watching and playing all things sports, especially international soccer and college basketball/football. He particularly loves water and jet skiing during the summer months and playing pick-up basketball and tennis. Otherwise, he can be found spending quality time with his family and friends.

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Matthew R. Hodgman

Matthew “Matt” Hodgman is a first year PhD student in Interdisciplinary Education at West Virginia University College of Human Resources and Education. His doctoral specialization is Educational Leadership & Policy Studies. He received his B.A. in English from George Washington University where he graduated Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa. He also holds an M.A. in English from Georgetown University, an M.S.Ed. in Secondary Education (English focus) from the University of Pennsylvania, and an M.S.Ed. in Educational Studies from Johns Hopkins University. At Penn, he was a GSE Urban Teacher Education Scholar and worked closely with Philadelphia-based educational institutes to help connect inner-city youth more authentically to their learning experiences. He previously held the position of Adjunct Professor of General Education at Westwood College. He also served as an English instructor at Chyten Educational Services.

His current research interests are directed toward questions of leadership, teacher quality, student experiences, persistence, and systemic reform at for-profit institutions of higher education. Specifically, he is interested in unearthing what for-profit and non-profit institutions can learn from each other to enhance higher education as a whole. His previous research projects focused on classroom-based applications of Glasser’s Choice Theory and the configuration of identity and authenticity in rap music.

In his free time he enjoys travel, playing guitar, and attending sporting events, specifically all things college basketball and New York Yankees.

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Gary Jones

Gary Scott Jones is earning a Doctorate of Musical Arts in Trombone. He holds a Master of Music in Improvisation from the University of Michigan, and a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies from Central State University. He has performed and/or recorded with a variety of musical artists, including:

The Funk Brothers, Steve Arrington, Spyder Turner, Aretha Franklin, The National Jazz Orchestra of Detroit, The Concordia University Faculty Brass Quintet, Nomo, Baoku and the Image Afro-Beat Band

G. Scott Jones’ creative interests include music performance, composition, spoken word, and visual art/design. He was a charter member of the Ohio Diversity Officers Collaboration. He is passionate about aiding students in their pursuit of higher education. He is an Adjunct Instructor of music, humanities, and graphics design at Edison Community College in Piqua, Ohio. Upon completion of his DMA, he will pursue Professorship at a college or university.

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Festus Manly-Spain

Festus Manly-Spain is a first year doctoral student in Resource Management and Sustainable Development at the West Virginia University Davis College of Agriculture Natural Resource and Design. He received his BA in Geography, track option in Development and Planning from West Virginia University. He later went on to peruse a Master’s Degree in Public Administration at WVU. He also recently served as an intern at the Morgantown Planning Department, where he conducted research and drafted proposed zoning regulations.

His research interests include looking at how land-use planning can help communities meet present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. He also has a keen interest on how a communities environmental, social and economic well being is affected by the way food is grown, distributed and eaten.

In his free time, he enjoys going to WVU football games, music production, and supporting his favorite soccer team, Manchester United.

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Jennifer Miller

Jennifer is a first year doctoral student in the Department of History. She received her B.S. from Eastern Mennonite University, where she majored in History and completed minors in English, Psychology, and Political Science. Jennifer went on the complete her M.A. in History at North Carolina State University. After graduating from North Carolina State, Jennifer returned to EMU to teach in the history department. She has since worked with a non-profit organization focused on educating the public about fair trade practices and creating opportunities for artisans in developing countries.

Jennifer’s research focuses on the complex relationships between Native Americans and colonial settlers in North America. She is interested in how the experience of captivity during the Seven Years’ War and subsequent captivity narratives impacted constructions of gender and race in early America. As she continues in her doctoral studies at WVU, Jennifer plans to further explore how the significant numbers of white women who entered Native American society in the mid-1700s changed Native American society.

Jennifer enjoys hiking, trying new recipes, and volunteering with Ten Thousand Villages in her free time.

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Noah Smith

Noah Smith is a first-year doctoral student in the Political Science Department. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in History from Saint Bonaventure University (2002), a Master of Business Administration and a graduate certificate in Sustainable International Development from the University of Pittsburgh (2009) before joining the academic community at West Virginia University. He is a member of the American Planning Association and the Phi Eta Sigma and Phi Kappa Phi Honors Societies. He has held internship positions at Pittsburgh’s Green Building Alliance and Oakland Planning and Development Corporation.

Since moving to Pittsburgh 2002, Noah has worked professionally as a project manager for a regional property management company. This experience has informed his interest in studying the built environment, housing policy, and social welfare. Noah also serves as the board chairman for Confere Inservitus, a Pittsburgh-based non-profit dedicated to identifying and confronting the causes of human trafficking. Noah plays music in two Pittsburgh-based bands: The Beagle Brothers, a traditional country and western act, and Oh Dang, Cobra Fang!, a cutting-edge rock-and-roll explosion.

Noah is really excited to be a member of both the Political Science Department and the greater academic community at West Virginia University. Although commuting from Pittsburgh at present, he feels welcomed by the Morgantown residents he has met and hopes to add meaningful contributions to this vibrant city. Noah’s primary research fields are Comparative Politics and Public Policy. His subject interests include Latin America, Housing Policy, and Non-Governmental Organizations.

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Marc Williams

Marc Williams is a first year PhD student in Interdisciplinary Education at West Virginia University College of Human Resources and Education. His doctoral specialization is Educational Leadership & Policy Studies. He received his B.S. in Sociology from William Paterson University. As an undergraduate, he received a prestigious NSF Grant to study the 1995 National Championship Football Team at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. His study sought: To examine athletes’ choices in college majors and future goals upon graduation. He also holds an M.S. in Sport Management from the prestigious Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. After graduation, Marc spent the past 10 years as a “Marketing Guru” for three of the largest sports brands in the world: Champs Sports, Footaction and Reebok. He is widely regarded as one of the nation’s foremost experts on branding, sports marketing, consumer behavior and hip-hop culture.

Marc is the former Global Brand Director for Champs Sports, a division of Foot Locker and the largest Athletic Retailer in the world. Williams was in charge of global marketing and helped Champs Sports become a $1 billion brand. Marc was a key member in starting one of the top College Football Bowl Games—The Champs Sports Bowl. He was instrumental in helping to start the most successful grassroots basketball tours of our time; the And 1 Mix tape tour. Marc also worked with entertainment icons: Will Farrell, Jay Z, Gwen Stefani, Chris Rock, Eve, Dewayne Wade, Bon Jovi, Venus Williams and Beyonce.

His current research interests are directed toward questions of leadership of student athletes in higher education. Currently Marc is a recipient of an NCAA Grant focusing on empowering student athletes at Historically Black Universities and helping to improve the APR scores of student athletes. He will work closely with WVU student athletes on personal and professional development. Recently, Marc was voted by CNN as one of the “Top 10 College Motivational Speakers” in the United States.

Marc is the Founder & CEO of award-winning brand management consulting firm, Williams Communications, LLC. His clients are: ESPN’s Sportscenter Anchors Jay Harris, Sage Steele and the NCAA. In his free time he enjoys travel, reading, listening to all music-specifically R&B, Hip Hop, anything 80’s and Motown) attending sporting events, working out and attending movie premieres.

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WVU Foundation Distinguished Doctoral Fellowship

Jennifer Berkebile

Jennifer Berkebile is a first year doctor of musical arts student in the Voice Department at West Virginia University’s College of Creative Arts. She received her Master’s degree in vocal performance from the Eastman School of Music and her Bachelor’s degree in music from the Blair School at Vanderbilt University. Jennifer’s operatic performances have been seen across the globe. Opera Today recognized Jennifer for her “pristine singing and assured presence” as Candy Mallow/Squirellmistress in the world premiere of Peter Ash’s The Golden Ticket with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, a role she then reprised with the Wexford Festival Opera in Ireland this past fall. With the help of her fellowship, Jennifer hopes to expand her knowledge and experience predominantly in the study and performance of 20th century and contemporary music. Jennifer is studying under Dr. Hope Koehler at the College of Creative Arts and is honored and excited to be a new member of the Mountaineer family.

Jennifer and her new husband, Bradley, have just moved into their first home in Morgantown, WV. She enjoys cooking, wine, rock and roll and a good novel. Jennifer is a native of Belle Vernon, PA and she and her husband are greatly anticipating the start of WVU football season!

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Jinny Turman-Deal

Jinny Turman-Deal is a doctoral candidate in history. She came to WVU in 2007 from Hickory, North Carolina, the place she has called home since she was ten years old. She holds a Bachelor of Art and Design degree with a concentration in fiber and surface design from North Carolina State University. Weaving became her specialty, and a research project on Appalachian craft processes essentially changed the course of her academic career. One year after graduating, Jinny enrolled in the graduate program in Appalachian Studies at Appalachian State University. While there, she studied regional culture and was allowed to design and teach a class on the history of mountain crafts. Between receiving her Master of Art degree and enrolling in the history department at WVU, Jinny worked for a variety of cultural institutions in or near the Appalachian region including the Blue Ridge Institute at Ferrum College in Virginia and the Hiddenite Center and Caldwell County Arts Council in western North Carolina.

Because of her interdisciplinary background, history was not always an obvious choice for Jinny. But her work as a folklorist in the Yadkin River Valley in North Carolina led her to decide on that discipline. Upon further reflection she believes the decision now makes sense; she comes from a family of antique buffs and has always been interested in modern U.S. history. This can be seen in her inexplicable yet undying love for all things related to the 1960s. Not surprisingly, her research fields are in modern U.S., Appalachian, and public history. To expand her knowledge beyond the borders of America, she also chose to do a teaching field in world history.

The topic of Jinny’s doctoral dissertation, the 1970s-era “back-to-the-land” movement in Appalachia, is the perfect blend of her interests. By studying the migration of countercultural homesteaders into Appalachia, she hopes to understand how expressions of their values, forged in the context of the booming postwar economy, the civil rights movement, Vietnam, growing concern about the environment, and 1970s economic collapse, have shaped regional communities.

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Graduate Enrichment Fellowship

John Baker

John Baker is a first year Masters in Fine Art student concentrating in ceramics. He received a BA in studio art from the University of Richmond. Born into a military family, he moved a lot while growing up, but he calls Ithaca, New York home. John has come to West Virginia University via Washington DC. For the past five years he has managed and taught at two ceramic programs, one of which he started, in the DC metro area. Along with growing as a teacher, he developed his skills as an artist considerably during those five years in DC. He has shown work in multiple venues and events in the DC area, including Artomatic and art Night at Hickcok-Cole.

His research/artwork began as strictly functional pottery early in his career, but has evolved to include larger scale and increasingly more sculptural works. His more recent pieces are inspired by mechanical parts and industrial equipment. His future artwork/research will continue to have an industrial inspiration, but he hopes to explore inclusion of other materials into his pieces.

Along with all forms of art John also enjoys traveling. In addition to traveling, he enjoys keeping active through rugby and running. He has recently put rugby aside for the less collision prone sport of long distance running. He recently finished his first half marathon in under two hours.

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Joseph Jefferson

Joseph Lee Jefferson is a first year doctoral student in the Music Department of West Virginia University, College of Creative Arts, as a Performance Major with an emphasis in Trombone. He holds a B.M from Norfolk State University as well as a M.M in Pedagogy (trombone) from Shenandoah Conservatory. While matriculating as a full time student at WVU, Joseph maintains the position as an Instructor of Music at Tidewater Community College, which he has held since 2010.

As an enrichment fellow, Joseph has been able to pursue one of his professional goals: becoming a specialist in his field of study. He looks forward to his continued growth at WVU and educational experiences to follow.

Outside of academia, Joseph’s performance resume is extensive. His ongoing quest to improve upon his craftsmanship as a performer has afforded him the privilege of performing with various ensembles such as the United States Army Continental Band, The Mark Michelson Big Band and 10 Spot Variety Band. As a freelance trombonist, Joseph has shared the stage with R&B Artist’s Raheem DeVaughn and Jon Bibbs. Furthermore, he has had the distinct pleasure to serve as an opening act for Boys II Men and Floetry.

During his free time he enjoys traveling, spending time with friends, and listening to different styles of music from all around the world.

Joseph Jefferson is an active member of the International Trombone Association, Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity Inc., Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.

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Dissertation Fellowship

Timothy Pruett

Timothy Pruett is currently a fourth year doctoral candidate in the Department of Geology and Geography at West Virginia University. He is also an adjunct instructor of Geography at Frostburg State University in Maryland.

As a human geographer, Timothy specializes in Political Ecology and Regional Development within the realms of Latin America, Europe, and Subsaharan Africa. His research explores socio-ecological conflict and the effects of political and economic policy decisions on agricultural communities in developing regions within the context of livelihoods, resource use, and/or power. Social movements linked to peasant and agrarian societies struggling through transition to capitalism are well-represented in this literature.

Timothy conducted dissertation data collection in Peru in the summer of 2011 and is in the final stages of writing. This research focuses on the conflict between peasant coca farmers and the Peruvian government in Andean Peru and the regional variation of this conflict. He plans to defend his dissertation in April. His advisor is Dr. Robert Hanham.

Timothy received an MS degree from Western Kentucky University where his thesis research was also conducted in Peru. In this study he focused on geographic factors contributing to the co-location of illicit coca production and terrorism in the Upper Huallaga Valley. Prior to this, he received a BA in Professional Geography from the University of North Alabama.

Before beginning doctoral work at WVU, Timothy worked as an adventure recreation coordinator in Maryland and Tennessee while teaching part-time as an adjunct instructor and later as a full-time instructor of Geography. Timothy is married to Michele Dell Pruett who is Clinical Coordinator of the undergraduate Athletic Training program in the College of Physical Education and Sports Science. They have a two year old son named Wyatt.

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Yiqiang Zhang

Yiqiang Zhang is a third year doctoral student in Electrical Engineering at the West Virginia University Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources. He received his Master degree in materials science and engineering from Zhejiang University, a top 5 university in China. He was a recipient of the CSEE Department Fellowship 2009, WVNano Bridge Award during 2009-2010, and the CEMR College Student Travel Award in 2011. He is a Research Assistant with Dr. Xian-An (Andrew) Cao.

During the past three years at West Virginia University, he independently developed a complete set of quantum dot (QD) processes, including colloidal synthesis, ligand exchange, optical characterization, and fabrication of QD light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and solar cells. His research interests include colloidal QDs (QDs) for efficient energy conversions (LEDs and solar cells), and small molecule/polymeric organic electronics (OLEDs and press sensors). His innovative work has resulted in seven publications in prestigious journals including Appl. Phys. Lett., J. Appl. Phys., and Organic Electronics, and five presentations at international conferences.

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Southern Regional Education Board Fellowship

Raymond C. Borges Hink

Raymond Borges is a first year doctoral student in Computer Science at the West Virginia University College of Engineering and Mineral Resources. He received his M.S. in Computer Science from the Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico. During his masters he was a Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) fellow and collaborated with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, for his thesis research project, under the Research Alliance in Math and Science program. Here, he interned twice and worked with Dr. Robert Patton, from the Computer Data Analytics group, and law enforcement agencies on an algorithm to identify initial child pornography content uploaders on BitTorrent Peer-to-Peer (P2P) networks.

He obtained his B.S. in Computer Engineering from Universidad del Turabo. During his years as an undergrad he participated in and led various undergraduate engineering research and design teams under the Multidisciplinary Engineering Program for Innovation (MEPI) program. In the MEPI program he worked on various projects including: a smart window for smart house systems, an infant heart monitor digital display and a human-computer interface for the blind. He also led High School Student robotic teams under the High School Enterprise (HSE) program in collaboration with Michigan Technological University. In the HSE program, students designed two remotely-operated underwater vehicles and presented them at the Michigan Tech 2009 Expo. For his undergrad Software Engineering class Raymond collaborated with the University of Puerto’s (Rio Piedras campus) medical division at Centro Medico to create an application for assisting in daily spore and pollen counting for air quality reports.

Raymond also holds a number of technological certifications in computer networks, computer and network security, and computer repair as well as a Microsoft certification, these are: CompTIA Security+ CE, CompTIA Network+, CompTIA A+ IT Technician, Original Equipment Manufacturer and Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist 70-624. He has given reviews for several of these certifications to companies such as Centennial, IBC Junior College and SuperMax supermarkets. His current research interests include data mining in P2P networks, robotics and cybersecurity.

In his free time Raymond enjoys reading novels, astronomy and meteorite collecting. You can see his meteorite collection at http://www.encyclopedia-of-meteorites.com and his meteorite general information webpage at http://meteorite.weebly.com/. He also enjoys web design, fossil hunting, rock hunting, movies, watching anime, playing video games and playing pool.

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Jarilyn M. Hernández Jiménez

Jarilyn is a first year doctoral student in Computer Science at the West Virginia College of Engineering and Mineral Resources. She received her BS in Computer Science from the University of Puerto Rico Arecibo Campus. As an undergraduate student she had the opportunity to participate in a summer internship at the University of Science and Technology and Missouri, where she works in the development of a robot that could measure the signal strength indoors. Also she was awarded with the SMART scholarship for two years.

She also has a Master Degree in Computer Science from the Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico. As a master student she received for two years the National Science Foundation Scholarship, and she received a fellowship called Nuclear Education Fellowship Program in which she was working as research and teacher assistant. Recently she served as an intern at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, where she worked with Dr. Line Pouchard from the Computer Science and Math Division in high performance computing.

Her research interests are computer security, computer forensics, and human computer interaction. In her free time, she enjoys exploring new places, and watching anime and movies. Once I have completed the PhD my goals are to do a postdoctoral at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and be part of the faculty on a University in the United States.

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National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship

Scott Cushing

Scott Cushing is a first year doctoral student in Physics at the West Virginia University Eberly College of Arts and Sciences. Scott acts as a Research Assistant for both Dr. Nick Wu of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and for Dr. Alan Bristow of the Department of Physics. Scott received his BS in physics from West Virginia University. He worked as an undergraduate research assistant for all four years under Dr. Nick Wu. Scott has been named both a Goldwater Scholar and an NSF Graduate Research Fellow. The NSF Fellowship has allowed Scott the freedom to explore the research he is interested in at West Virginia University without the constraints of the Research Advisor’s funding and current projects.

Scott’s undergraduate research focused on nanofabrication and the experimental study, theoretical simulation, and application of surface plasmon resonance. Scott is continuing his undergraduate research in graduate school by using ultrafast optical techniques to supplement his investigation of energy transfer between metals and semiconductors by surface plasmon resonance. Scott also focuses on interdiscplinary work ranging from fabricating microscale anodes for fuel cells to creating biosensors that utilize surface enhanced raman scattering.

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Stephanie Archer-Hartmann

Stephanie Archer-Hartmann is a fifth year doctoral student in the Chemistry Department at West Virginia University, Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, where she is conducts research with Dr Lisa Holland. Stephanie is a West Virginia native and also attended WVU for her BS in Chemistry which she earned in 2006. Her research focuses on finding better separations methods to analyze a number of biological molecules including proteins, steroids, and carbohydrates. She has presented her research at numerous national conferences, and loves to share her work with others, especially those in nonscientific fields. In 2010, she was awarded a national research fellowship through the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) and currently uses the funding to research new ways to analyze therapeutic antibodies. These biological-based drugs are gaining popularity as powerful treatments for a number of diseases but require sophisticated analytical methods. Stephanie’s research aims to develop methods that use inexpensive equipment and less sample consumption.

Stephanie currently resides in Morgantown, WV with her web developer husband, Jon, and two cats. She spends her free time traveling, reading, and watching obscure documentaries about any number of topics. She is currently finishing work on her dissertation and looks forward to graduating, and embarking on new adventures.

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